The Legendary Scarlet
by TheBoss995
Summary: Some legends are myths. Some legends are truths. But at some point all legends are forgotten. Please leave a review. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**The Legendary****Scarlet**

Chapter One

I looked over into the portal, hesitating to enter. It swirled purple and blue, with faint sparkles spiraling into the center. I looked to my brother, who was smiling encouragingly.

"This... this isn't a trick, right...?" I asked quietly, still shocked from what Drake had told me.

It was about an hour ago, when he said I was a wizard. He said he was one, too, and so was mom and dad, and all our family before that. Drake said it had to be kept a secret until I turned thirteen, which was when I was old enough to enroll into Ravenwood school, the top school for wizards in training.

It was all very hard to take in. But since mom and dad had assured me it was the truth, I decided to believe them.

I took a deep breath, and stepped slowly through the portal. Mom and dad waved goodbye to me, and told me they loved me.

I expected to still be at home, where my dad had cast the portal, but I arrived in front of a tall tower. Soon after, Drake appeared next to me. A tall old man, dressed in robes and a tall hat, complete with a long, gray beard, was in front of us. Next to him, an owl was perched on a wooden stand.

"It's good to see you, Drake." He said in a shaky, shrilly voice. "And this must be Scarlet, correct?"

"Yes, this is my sister." Drake nodded. "Scarlet, this is Ambrose, the headmaster of Ravenwood school." A wrinkled smile formed on the headmasters face.

"It's great to finally meet you, Scarlet GriffenRider." He said. "Now all we have to do to get you started is fill out these forms and-" Suddenly a loud boom echoed throughout the air. Clouds covered the once clear sky.

Lightning flashed, then another boom. I looked up at the tower, only to see a figure appear in the window. For a moment I caught a glimpse of someone staring at me.

"Oh no..." Headmaster Ambrose said quietly. Drake stared wide-eyed at the window.

"Headmaster... was that who I think it was?" He asked with fear in his voice. Ambrose nodded.

"Hurry, get into the tower!" He cried.

"Whooo?" The owl cooed, as we all ran in.

Inside, I saw a man about as tall as Headmaster Ambrose, with deep black hair and odd, pale eyes. His wrinkled hands firmly held a tall staff, and he was covered in dark robes. Next to him were two orange, dragon-like creatures.

"And who is this? Your newest student?" The man sneered in a low voice. "You'll need to do better than that if you want to be rid of me, Ambrose."

"Scarlet, I need you to take care of those minions, while I see to Malistaire!" Headmaster Ambrose ordered. So that was the man's name: Malistaire. It suited him.

"Headmaster, what would you like me to do?" Drake asked.

"I want to see what Scarlet can do. She will fight the minions by herself." He answered. My eyes widened. "Go, Scarlet! Defeat them! I'll help you the best I can." Malistaire laughed as I entered a magical dueling ring, with the two minions across from me. Suddenly squares appeared in front of me, suspended in the air. There were pictures on them, followed by words. I looked to the Headmaster, not knowing what to do with them.

"Choose which attack you'd like to use, Scarlet. Some of them will work better than others." Ambrose explained. I turned back to the squares, reading the words. I had three to choose from; Firecat, Blood bats, and Imp. I put my hand to the Firecat attack, and I watched the minions choose their attacks. The triangle in the middle of the ring glowed, and turned towards me. I could tell it meant it was my turn. Suddenly something came over me, and I drew a glowing symbol in the air with my hands. Afterwards a cat hopped out, flames covering his body. He leapt at one of the minions, and it stumbled backwards. I felt some of my energy draining from me.

Soon after, one of the minions hit me with bats that sparked with electricity, and the other one used a firecat as well.

The battle was going great; both of the minions were getting extremely tired. Ambrose told me that the more you get hit, the more energy is drained from you. Once all your energy is drained, you die.

But soon, my energy was low as well. One of the minions had hit me with sharks that had leapt out of electrical water.

"Scarlet, use this meteor spell!" Suddenly another square appeared in front of me, showing a picture of flaming meteors. I selected the attack, and it hit both of the minions, defeating them. Malistaire's eyes gleamed with frustration, but I only caught it for a second.

"This, Ambrose, is just the beginning." The glowing ring vanished, and Malistaire with it. I stumbled backwards, exhaustion overcoming me. Drake rushed over, asking if I was okay.

"I'm fine, Drake." I told him. Ambrose walked towards me.

"You're a strong one, Scarlet." He said. "Maybe just what Wizard City needs." I smiled.

"Now, I need to see what kind of wizard you are."

"What kind of wizard I am?" I repeated.

"There are many different kinds of magic, you see." He explained. "I need to find out which type is your strongest."

"After, I think we should take her to her dorm room." Drake suggested. "She needs rest."

"Once she practices more, she won't get as tired." Ambrose replied. "Now let me see..." The Headmaster raised his arms slowly into the air, and suddenly lights came around me, and I felt as if I was getting lighter. I floated into the air, above Ambrose and Drake. Then around me, I saw blackness. After a few moments I was lowered back to the ground.

"Oh my..." Ambrose said quietly. "You seem to be... a Necromancer." I saw Drake's eyes widen.

"What's a Necromancer...?" I asked. "And what's wrong with being one?"

"A Necromancer is one who uses death magic." Ambrose explained. "It's a powerful magic, and there's nothing wrong with being a Necromancer. Its just... Malistaire is one himself..."

"Oh..." I said quietly.

"It's alright, young wizard." Ambrose said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll use Necromancy for good, not bad, like Malistaire." I nodded.

"Now let's get you to your dorm." Ambrose said, and transported us to a small room.

"Now, Scarlet." My brother said. "My dorm is very close, near the storm school, since I'm a storm wizard." I nodded, wanting him to leave. "If you need anything, anything at all, come and get me." Drake handed me a stone, and there was a glowing that came from its core. "Use that to teleport to other people." He added, then hugged me.

"I'll be fine, Drake!" I assured him. Ambrose smiled in amusement, and Drake let go of me.

"I'll send Gamma, my owl, to fetch you tomorrow so we can meet your teachers and get everything straightened out." The Headmaster explained. "Have a good rest, Scarlet." And then he and my brother left.

I lied back on the bed. It felt good to rest, especially when I was this tired. I wondered what tasks lay before me, because all I had just witnessed was beyond everything I had ever believed in.

I closed my eyes, and let sleep over come me.

**I hope you liked this first part, please leave a review! ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning I was awoken by a cooing noise. My eyes opened slowly, and they were met with huge, yellow eyes. I scrambled backwards, staring at the owl in front of me.

"Are yooooou Scarlet GriffenRider?" He asked. I nodded, slowly calming down. "Ambrose sent me to fetch yoou. You should leave for his house in the Commons as soon as you're ready" I got out of the bed, and then the owl flew in front of me. He clutched a long rod in his talons, I suspected it was a wand.

"Take this, it is a wand made for Necromancers. Necromancers level 5 and under, to be exact."

"Level 5?" I asked.

"We track a wizards power in levels, so a level 10 would be more powerful than a level 5, and so on." He explained. I took the wand, and stared at it. "Well I'd best be going. Don't keep the Headmaster waiting." The owl left through the open window, which I could've sworn was shut last night. I changed into the clothes that were left in the closet. They were red and black robes, a bit big for me, but they fit. After I changed, I walked through the commons. It was bright and sunny outside, with other wizards hurrying around. I finally found the Headmaster's house, and walked in. A few students were inside, but as soon as Ambrose saw me, he motioned for them to leave.

"Good morning, Scarlet." He greeted. "I see you got your robes and wand, hm?"

"Yes, thank you." I replied.

"Now today you will meet your teacher, who will instruct you on the art of necromancy. And then you'll select a secondary school, which is where you will learn other spells beside death." Ambrose explained. "Now, let's go to Ravenwood."

The Headmaster transported us there. Many wizards were running around, going to their classes. In front of us was a huge tree, with branches that spread into the sky. It was alive, too, with eyes and a mouth, although I noticed one of his enormous eyes were missing.

"Come." The Headmaster told me, walking down the stone path to the right. As we walked next to one building, a storm raged around us. Only near the building was the storm.

"This is your brother's school," The Headmaster told me. "The Storm school. Students that go here are known as Diviners."

Suddenly all those times that rain had started when my brother got mad made sense. Ambrose led me further along the path, and we passed more schools. Soon we arrived at a steep cliff, with a student standing in front of it.

"This," The Headmaster said, pausing, " Is the Death school." I gave him a look of confusion. Where was the school? Ambrose laughed, and patted me on the back.

"Don't worry, I know it's not there." He said. "The Death school was destroyed after the old teacher left."

"Who used to teach this school?" I asked. The Headmaster's voice became hushed.

"It was Malistaire." He told me. My eyes widened.

"Well... who teaches it now, then?" I asked with curiosity. The wizard who was in front of the cliff waved at me.

"I was Malistaire's top student." The wizard told me. "I will teach you the art of Necromancy." Ambrose nodded.

"Alright then. Your classes will start tomorrow." He told me. "Have you decided on a secondary school?"

"I think I'll do storm." I replied. It seemed to be a strong magic, and I'd be able to see my brother sometimes.

"A wise choice." The Headmaster said. "For now I have an errand for you to run."

"Oh, okay." I said quietly. What kind of task would the Headmaster want me to do?

"There is a street here in Wizard City called Unicorn Way. Odd happenings have been reported from there, and I need you to see to them. Talk to the guard at the beginning of the street, he'll explain everything." Ambrose explained. I nodded with determination.

"Take this book, it will hold all the information you need. And since you are getting more things to carry, you should take this bag as well." Ambrose said, handing me a red book and a bag that I slung around my shoulder.

"Thank you, Headmaster." I replied.

"And give this letter to the guard, or else he won't let you through." Ambrose added, handing me a sealed letter. I nodded, and waved goodbye as I left Ravenwood. As I exited, the huge tree seemed to be watching me with his only eye.

I walked down the cobblestone path in the commons, looking around for Unicorn Way. The Commons was busy, with other students hurrying around, buying things, and talking. I tried looking over all the people, at the signs on the entrances. Suddenly I was struck from behind, and fell face first onto the ground. The letter I had in my hand fluttered in the wind and got carried over to the sidewalk.

"Ow..." I muttered, getting up. I met eyes with another wizard, a student. He had a black hood, and a fitted black and white robe, and boots. His wand was the same as mine, and I realized he was a Necromancer. In his other hand, he held my letter.

"Was this yours?" He asked. "I'm sorry I ran into you, I was in a hurry." I took the letter, wiping off the dirt that had got on it.

"It's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going." I replied.

"Where I was going doesn't matter now. I was going to go buy the last Athame from Prospector Zeke, but someone already got it before me." He said. "I'm Wolf, Wolf DragonHunter."

"I'm Scarlet GriffenRider." I told him.

"You need help with anything? Classes are over and I got some time on my hands." Wolf asked. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure if the Headmaster wants anyone to help me, but you can come."

"The Headmaster asked you to do something for him?" Wolf asked, sounding surprised. "It must be important."

"He wants me to check out Unicorn Way. Apparently odd things have been happening there." I replied. Wolf nodded.

"I've heard. Follow me, I know where the entrance to Unicorn Way is." I followed Wolf through crowds, and down the stone paths to the entrance. A guard stood in front, wearing a silver and gold helmet and a red and yellow uniform.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked. I handed the letter to him, and he gave a confused look while opening it. As he read it, the look vanished.

"Ambrose sent you to help?" He said with amusement. "Don't see what a couple young wizards will do to help much, but I'll let you through." The guard pulled a lever next to him and the gate rose. I thanked him, and we walked through the entrance to Unicorn Way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I saw the guard standing on the sidewalk, and told Wolf to follow me. It was bright and sunny here, with deep green grass beside the stone streets. A little ways behind the guard was a large fountain, a huge stone unicorn in the center. I walked up to the Guard, who smiled as I approached.

"Are you the wizard that Ambrose told me he would send?" He asked. I nodded.

"And this is Wolf." I added. "He's gonna help me."

"Great." The guard replied. "I'm Private Connelly. Now, onto what I need help with." A grim look came over his face as he began to speak. "Lately there has been an outbreak of lost souls. Some people think it might have to do with Malistaire. What I'd like you to do is defeat some Lost Souls to lower the population."

"Sounds easy enough." I replied. "Let's go." Me and Wolf ran down the street, past a small stone bridge. After we went over to the other side, I saw some floating ghost creatures. The Lost Souls. I ran up to one, initiating a battle. The Dueling Arena glowed to life and we took our places. I chose the Ice Beetle spell, and Wolf chose a Dark Fairy spell. The Ice Beetle appeared, with snow around it. Quickly, the beetle rammed into the Lost Soul. Afterwards a Dark Fairy appeared, and used her dark magic on the Soul. A Firecat attacked me, lowering my energy.

We quickly defeated the Lost Soul, then four more.

"That should be enough." I told Wolf as we ended our fourth battle.

"That wasn't so bad." He replied, as we made our way to the beginning of the street. Private Connelly smiled as we approached.

"Thank you." He said to us. "Although there's something else I'd like you two to do."

"I think we could handle it." I replied. It was still light outside, and barely any of my energy was gone.

"Ceren Nightchant, the boy over there by the gazebo, needs some help." I nodded, then we ran towards the gazebo that was close behind Connelly. I saw Ceren, and he looked worried.

"Hi, I'm Scarlet, and this is Wolf." I introduced. "We heard you needed some help?"

"Yes!" He replied, suddenly looking relieved. "Lady Oriel has told me about some Dark Fairies being captured. You should go talk to her, she is in a tower nearby."

"Who captured the fairies?" I asked. Ceren shrugged.

"Lady Oriel knows more than I do. Probably some henchman of Malistaire's."

"Oh..." I said quietly, becoming absorbed in my thoughts. It always seemed to be the work of Malistaire. He seemed to be threatening the entire Wizard City. But maybe that's what Ambrose had been keeping from me this whole time.

"Scarlet? You there?" A hand waved in front of my face, bringing me back to reality.

"Sorry, let's go." I replied. We walked along the sidewalk until we found a tall tower, with a large unicorn statue in front. Wolf and I walked in. On the sides of us were mazes, and some fairies fluttered around. There were only a few of them, and it seemed as though there should be more. A lady was in the center of the room, with long golden hair and dressed in silky white robes. I guessed she was Lady Oriel.

"Hello, we've been sent to help you." I told her. The lady's face lit up.

"Oh, praise the light!" She cheered, with a high, airy voice. "I thought I'd never get help."

"What's the problem?" Wolf asked.

"My fairies are being captured. Some Dark Fairies flying around are guarding the cages they are trapped in. "

"So you want us to get rid of those Dark Fairies, then let your fairies out?" Wolf confirmed. Lady Oriel nodded.

"Okay, we'll do our best." I told her, and left the tower.

After we defeated most of the Dark Fairies and let out Lady Oriel's fairies, we went back. Apparently the Dark Fairies were being controlled by a ghost named Lady Blackhope. Me and Wolf ran as quickly as possible to her tower. As soon as we ran in we were faced with a dismal looking ghost.

"You will never defeat me!" She cackled. "You will not defeat me, or Malistaire!" The dueling arena appeared, and I quickly chose a Thunder Snake spell, and it zapped the ghost with it's lightning-shaped tail. Wolf followed up with an Imp spell.

Blackhope hit me with a Dark Fairy, and I realized that most of my energy was gone. I was getting really exhausted. It was my turn again, so I chose a Firecat. It clawed Blackhope with its firey paws, then she got hit by another Thunder Snake thanks to Wolf.

Suddenly I was hit with Electric Bats, and I was almost too tired to move. I wouldn't be able to take another hit, hopefully Wolf would finish her off.

"Wolf, I need you to choose a strong spell." I told him. "I don't have much energy left, so you need to kill her!" I casted an Ice Beetle spell, and I saw that Lady Blackhope was almost finished with. As was I.

Wolf hit her with a spell I hadn't seen before, a zombie-looking creature hopped out of the ground, and seemed to suck energy from Blackhope with a shovel. Afterwards he turned and replenished my energy.

"Thanks." I said to Wolf. Blackhope sank into the ground, defeated.

Lady Oriel was overjoyed with the news.

"You young wizards are so helpful!" She praised. "But you'd better tell Ambrose about what's been happening. I think he'd want to know."

"I'd want to know what?" The familiar voice came from the entrance of the tower. I turned, only to see the Headmaster with Gamma on his shoulder. Lady Oriel told him everything that's been happening, and how everyone thinks its all Malistaire's doing.

"You're probably correct." The Headmaster said as she finished. Suddenly his gaze turned to Wolf. "Wolf DragonHunter? What are you doing here?"

"I was helping Scarlet." He answered, unphased by Ambrose's stern tone.

"I thought Professor Drake gave you a detention." Ambrose countered. I looked at Wolf. Was he just trying to get out of detention?

"Just for being late to class!" He cried. "And only five minutes late as well!" Ambrose narrowed his eyes.

"Is it true, Scarlet? Is he helping you?" I nodded quickly.

"He helped me a lot." I replied. Wolf gave me a look of gratitude.

"Fine then. Anyways, Scarlet, I'd like to see you after your classes tomorrow." The Headmaster said. "It's important." Then he waved goodbye, and transported, probably back to the Commons. Lady Oriel smiled at us.

"Well you two better be going." She said. I nodded, leaving the tower with Wolf following behind.

As soon as we entered the Commons, we parted ways.

"See you in class tomorrow, Scarlet." Wolf said, waving. I waved back.

"See you tomorrow." I really hoped that I had made a friend with Wolf, because it was hard finding my way around Wizard City. The sky was a dark blue color, and the air was getting cold. I walked into my dorm room, and leapt under the covers of my bed. I yawned, feeling exhausted from the battle with Lady Blackhope.

I was also thinking about what the Headmaster was going to tell me. I had a growing suspicion that he wanted me to do something, something big. Something that involved Wizard City and Malistaire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Been awhile since I updated. So enjoy~**

I arose out of my bed the next morning, sunlight from the window filtering in through the curtains. I lied there on my back, eyes gazing up at the ceiling. My sleep that night had been restless. Too many thoughts had been crowding my mind, yelling at me to stay awake and worry about them. There was a knot of anxiety tangled up deep in my stomach, giving me physical pain. I sighed and lifted my body off the soft bed, and got changed into my robes.

A knock on the door caught my attention, and I quickly answered it. It was my brother Drake. A worried look was plastered on his face, his eyes seeming to search mine, but for what, I didn't know.

"Scarlet, I heard Ambrose wanted to talk to you after classes today." Drake said, bringing my twisted mess of worry back.

"How did you know?" I asked. Drake shrugged.

"People. But whatever the Headmaster tells you, I don't want you doing anything that could get you into danger." He replied. I shook my head.

"Drake, if you didn't want me in danger you wouldn't have brought me here." I countered. "I don't have a clue what Ambrose wants to tell me, but I've been worrying about it all night. Please just let me forget about it for now." I walked forward, almost pushing my brother aside.

It was breezy and warm out this morning, except for the rain around the storm school. I made my way down the cobblestone path, towards the huge gap that was the death school. Some other students were already there, sitting or standing on the grass and talking to friends. I looked around for Wolf, but he wasn't here yet.

I sat down on the soft, green grass, moving the palm of my hand over it. Suddenly a shadow was cast over me, and I looked up. The shadow belonged to Wolf, and he sat down next to me. His dark brown hair was messy and I could tell he had woken up late.

"Hi." I greeted.

"Hey." He replied, but his voice seemed to have a nervous tone to it.

"Something wrong?" I asked, seeing if I could push him to tell me. Wolf looked at me and faintly smiled, but shook his head.

"Nah. No big deal." He told me, as the death school's teacher tried to start class. We sat on the grass in neat rows, facing towards the teacher.

"Good morning, students." He began. "Today we are going to learn about undead creatures, and strategies to defeat them." The teacher passed out textbooks, and we read about many kinds of creatures. I was still a bit shocked at the fact that magic, fantasy, everything I'd been taught to be myths to be real. It sort of scared me in a way.

Soon my first class ended, and I got up off the grass. Before I could leave, Wolf stopped me.

"Scarlet, tell me what the Headmaster says to you, okay?" Then I saw the worry in his eyes again. I paused for a moment. _Could he be worried about... me?_ But then I quickly dismissed that thought. We had just met, anyway. It must be about something else.

"Alright, I will." I smiled and walked towards the storm school building for my second class.

* * *

The day ended faster than I hoped it would. I exited the building of my last class, worry and anxiety almost overcoming me. I gulped it down, and walked into the commons. It was busy as ever, the students going on their way. Slowly, I walked towards Ambrose's office. Suddenly I was inside, my heart pounding, as Gamma lead me to the Headmaster. As soon as he saw me, he got out of his chair.

"Scarlet. It's great to see you." Ambrose shooed Gamma away, so it was only me and him. There was silence, but it pounded on my ears as hard as my heart was beating. "Scarlet, there are a few things I need to talk to you about. I need you to listen carefully, everything I'm about to say is of the utmost importance." I gulped, but forced myself to nod. Ambrose motioned for me to sit, so I did.

"Now. I'm sure you know how your family is part of a long line of wizards." I nodded, remembering what my parents had told me before I left. "Well... Scarlet, your parents never told you this before but... they aren't actually... your real parents." The Headmaster paused, waiting for me to react. And I did, my breathing quickened and more thoughts and questions raced rapidly throughout my head. I felt sick.

"Your real parents... They were also wizards, and very good friends with the ones who cared for you. And your real father, he was one of the greatest wizards in history." Ambrose continued, but it was hard for me to take in. "He passed it on to you, Scarlet. You can do things, things no other student can do."

"What do you mean?" Was the only question I could force out.

"Wizards like you, we call them Pure Wizards. There has only been three of them in all of history. They can tell what people are feeling, they can sense danger, and the most well known trait of a Pure Wizard is seeing into the future." Ambrose explained. I took a deep, shaky breath.

"But... I've never done that before." I replied.

"I'm sure you have." Ambrose told me. "In dreams that you have forgotten, in the little fragments of thought that seem to disappear in the same instant they existed. With practice and concentration, you can grow this power." My head was pounding like a drum. I wanted this insanity to stop. Nothing made sense anymore, like my whole life had been a complete lie.

"I also need to talk to you about Malistaire." He continued. "He sent me a letter very recently. It wasn't a normal letter... he made it into a sort of poem, a riddle I guess."

"Do you know what it means?" I asked. Ambrose reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment, dyed black. He handed it to me, and I unfolded it, my eyes reading the ghostly white letters.

People say my end is near

But endings are really beginnings

My beginning starts with fear

The walls of the spiral shedding

For I have a surprise up my sleeve

Cloaked in shadows of the night

On the dreaded hallows eve

Your precious city will be in fright

I read the letter over and over again. Malistaire was planning something, something that would happen the night before Halloween. The only question was, what exactly was his plan? And was this just the first of a series of plans? I shook my head and folded the letter back up.

"Scarlet, I need you to figure out what Malistaire is planning. I know someone who can help you, but I'll leave you with this much for now. I know you need time to take this all in." Ambrose said. He was right.

"Thank you, Headmaster." I replied, placing Malistaire's letter in my bag. He gave a small smile, and I walked out the door. I knew this much, nothing was ever going to be the same again.

**Hope you enjoyed this part, thanks for reading! **


	5. Just an update

Sorry I've been gone for far too long! New chapters will (hopefully) get posted soon, I promise. But you know how it is, life and school and responsibilities take over and you have no time for stuff. So sorry for not posting, but I will very very very soon.


	6. Chapter 5

I walked down the stone steps of Ambrose's office onto the busy streets of the Commons. I felt physically ill. I had just found out that my entire life was a complete lie. I wanted to scream or cry or both at the same time. Then I thought of Drake. Why had he been hiding all this from me for years? What hasn't he told me? Was he really my brother to begin with?

I stepped onto the cobblestone, and turned, only to meet eyes with Wolf. At least I knew that Wolf was my friend. At least, I hoped he was.

"You were in there awhile." He said, trying to act nonchalant, but I could hear the worry in his voice.

"Yeah, guess so." I replied.

"So what did he say?" Wolf asked quickly, probably not meaning to. I looked to my right, then down at my shoes. I had no clue where to start, so I blurted it all out. By the end of my venting I was in tears. Wolf looked distraught, not knowing what to do. "It's... It'll be okay..." was all he could manage. Then he embraced me in an awkward hug, but I felt a little better. He let go, and I had stopped crying but continued to sniff.

"I think I'd better go..." I said, giving him a quick goodbye and walked off quickly, leaving him there. I made my way to Ravenwood, deciding I needed to have a talk with someone.

* * *

I burst into my brother's dorm room, and he looked up from his desk. He could tell I was not happy.

"You alright?" Drake questioned. I scowled.

"You tell me. If I can believe you." I snapped. Drake have me a look of confusion. I told him angrily what Ambrose had told me earlier. As I finished, he looked annoyed.

"Scarlet, I needed to keep that information from you for your safety!" He told me.

"What do you mean, safety?" I said loudly.

"Scarlet, just calm down."

"You're a liar."

"I am not. Now go away." He slammed down into his chair and turned towards the desk. "I said go away. I have homework to do! Everything Ambrose told you is all there is to it, there isn't anything I haven't told you. Now please, leave." I made a quiet growl and stormed out of his dorm room. The air outside was cold and quick breezes sent shivers up my spine. I walked past the huge tree in the center of Ravenwood.

"Scarlet GriffenRider..." A deep voice drawled out. It had been the tree. I turned towards him, looking up. "You seem frustrated, and anxious."

"Well I am." I replied angrily. I felt insane talking to a tree.

"I know. I know why, too. But Scarlet, you need not worry. Everyone has troubles, and dwelling on them only makes them even worse."

"What do you know about troubles? You're a tree." I countered. He let out a long, deep chuckle.

"You see, you and me are much alike. We can tell how people are feeling by merely concentrating on them. We can tell the future. But the difference is that I have been doing this for many years, more than you'll ever live out. I know people's feelings, and what causes them, I know what struggle is, Scarlet."

I sat on the cold cobblestone ground, tracing my finger along the indents thoughtfully.

"But what am I supposed to do? Ambrose expects me to find out what Malistaire is up to and stop it. I don't even have the slightest idea what this whole 'Pure Wizard' thing is, and yet he wants me to save the entire Spiral with it."

"You will learn in time. Just remember everything takes time. You cannot pause time, nor speed it up, so you must make the most out very second." The leaves on the tree's great, outstretched branches rustled, making a reassuring noise. "Goodnight, Scarlet." Then the tree closed his great eye and there was nothing but silence.

* * *

The next morning, there was a knock at my door to wake me up. I yawned, and slowly answered it.

"Hi Scarlet." It was Wolf. I suddenly felt embarrassed, being in my pajamas with my messy morning hair.

"Oh, hello Wolf." I answered. "I wasn't expecting you..."

"I'm sorry. But I want to tell you something." I nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Well Ive been thinking, and I decided that you could use some help. This whole Malistaire thing is some pretty tough business, and I don't want you to go at it alone."

"So... you're saying you'll help me with it?"

"Yeah. I mean... if it's alright with you."

"Of course. Thanks, Wolf, it means a lot." I smiled.

"You'd better get ready for class. I'll wait." He said. I nodded, closing the door. I opened my wardrobe and changed into my robes. I felt a bit relieved. Wolf would be helping me out with this whole thing, it will all be okay. I smiled to myself, and left for Death class with Wolf.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Enjoy~_**

It was a nice day, I noticed, as Wolf and I sat down for Death class. The sun was out and shining bright, but not too much, just the perfect amount of sunlight. Clouds passed lazily overhead and cast shadows along the ground.

Today, the class seemed to be more talkative than usual. The teacher finally calmed everyone down, and began the class. We learned a new spell, and about more death creatures. At the end of class, we were assigned into groups to do a short assignment. I was put with Wolf, a girl named Emerald SilverStream, and her brother, named Derek SilverStream. We had to do a 2v2 duel, using our new spell and techniques. Naturally, me and Wolf were a team. The teacher called one group up at a time, so we waited for our turn.

"I heard you're a Pure." A voice whispered from behind me. I whipped around, and locked eyes with the girl in my group, Emerald.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Don't you go thinking you're better than everyone else. In fact, you're probably worse. Even worse than..." She scanned the class. "Ethan NightBlade." I gave her a confused look.

"I don't even know who he is." I snapped.

"Only the dumbest student in wizard city. Weird as hell, too." She had an arrogant tone about her voice, in fact her entire essence reeked of arrogance.

"I never said I thought I was better than anyone." I wanted to tell her to stop talking behind Ethan's back, but I didn't want to get her too angry.

"Good. Because you aren't." She suppressed a laugh, and the other boy in my group, Derek, shushed her. They definitely looked to be siblings. Their hair was both a dark black, and they had blue-gray eyes.

"Forgive my sister. She can be a... Nuisance at times." He gave me a warm smile. Emerald rolled her eyes, and just like that, our group was called up.

Wolf and I took one side, and the siblings took the other. We battled fiercely, especially me, since I wanted to show Emerald a thing or two. In the end, we beat them. Wolf and I gained another level, so now we were up to level 15. Class ended, and we walked to our secondary classes.

"I heard you talking about Ethan NightBlade." Wolf said as we walked.

"Oh, yeah, Emerald was making fun of him or something."

"I know. Most people do. We used to be friends."

"Oh? Why not anymore?" I was suddenly very curious.

"Well awhile ago, people weren't mean to him at all, even though he didn't have many friends. But then people found out he was a Pure, and he stopped talking to everyone. Including me."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, and the only Pures here are currently you and Ethan... But don't worry, Scarlet. I think we'll be friends for awhile." He smiled, and I smiled back. I arrived at the storm school and walked in, waving goodbye to Wolf.

After class, Ambrose's owl, Gamma, brought me to Ambrose's office. He had to talk to me again. I walked into the familiar office, and sat across from The Headmasters desk.

"Hello, Scarlet." He greeted.

"Hi." I replied.

"So I told you that there is someone who can help you in your quest, correct?" Ambrose asked. I nodded in confirmation. "Well, I brought him here today, so you can meet each other. But just so you are aware, he doesn't particularly like people. You two will have to learn to get along." Ambrose made a gesture to Gamma, and he went to fetch the wizard who would hopefully help me. He returned, being followed by a tall and skinny dirty-blonde haired boy. "This is Ethan NightBlade. I believe you are both Necromancers."

"Yes, we are." Ethan replied. His stare was intense and a bit nerve-wracking. His voice had a faint accent to it, which I recognized as british, but it was so faint you could barely notice. "Scarlet GriffenRider is your name, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, that's my name." I replied quietly. Ethan's mouth seemed to be unable to smile.

"Well, then, why don't you two go to the library and do some research on Malistaire. You can also get to know each other." Ambrose suggested. I nodded, and followed Ethan out the door. We walked silently to the library. Once we got there, I grabbed a few books on Malistaire and his history, and sat.

After a few moments, Ethan turned to me.  
"You're a Pure, correct?" He asked. I didn't look him in the eyes when I answered.  
"Yeah... You are too, aren't you?"  
"I am. By the way, please don't listen to what people tell you about me. I know you're friends with Wolf DragonHunter. We used to be friends too. Don't listen if he says anything bad about me. He's holding a grudge against me for... Well, a fight." Ethan kind of shrugged.  
"What happened?" I couldn't help but ask. Ethan ran his hand through his thick hair nervously.  
"Well, you see, when people found out I was a Pure, I started getting a lot of attention. Wolf became jealous. I didn't like the attention either, but Wolf was still angry. I'm surprised he became friends with you, and a little suspicious." He answered. I felt confused. If Wolf didn't like Pures, why did he become my friend? I shook the thought away.  
"Okay. But even the Headmaster told me that... Well, you don't really like people."  
"No, it's not that. Wolf had been my only friend, and after our fight he ignored I ignored everyone because of the attention. It's kind of complicated, but I wanted you to know since we're going to be working together."  
I drew in a deep breath. I told Wolf that he could help me, but I didn't know he was holding a grudge against Ethan. I decided to keep that to myself.  
"Anyways, I think we have enough information for now. How about we meet tomorrow after class and talk about Malistaire?" I said. Ethan nodded.  
"Sure. Oh yeah, are you going to be participating in the Duel of Ravenwood this year?" He asked me. I shot him a confused look.  
"What's that?"  
"Oh, it's a huge school-wide dueling tournament. You sign up, then fight in duels until you lose, or win. You have to win 5 duels to get into the championships. I'm entering. We could be duel partners if you'd like."  
"That sounds great." I said, smiling. Maybe that would take my mind off things for awhile.  
"Cool. I don't think it will interfere with trying to stop Malistaire, it only lasts two days." He smiled back, which seemed weird but oddly comforting. We left the library, and I walked to my dorm. I met Wolf on the way there.  
"Hey, you met that other guy who's supposed to help you, right? What's he like?" Wolf asked. Nervousness fluttered inside my stomach.  
"It's Ethan." Suddenly Wolf became stiff.  
"Did you tell Ambrose I'd be helping you? Do you really need Ethan's help?"  
"I didn't tell Ambrose, but I will. Anyways, Ethan is the only other Pure wizard here. It's only obvious Ambrose would ask him to help me." I decided to leave out how we were doing the Duel of Ravenwood together.  
"Yeah. Okay." Wolf replied. "Gotta go. See you later, Scarlet." Then he left. It seemed unusual for him to leave so quickly. I shrugged it off, and continued to my dorm room to get some sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I made my way to the Shopping District to meet Ethan. Classes had finished, and they went alright, except for the fact that Wolf had barely talked to me. He didn't seem angry... But maybe he was. I couldn't tell. I walked through the gate to the Shopping District and down the stone street. It was a cloudy day, dull and dismal. As I walked, someone suddenly stood in front of me.  
"Hello, Scarlet." It was Emerald. A smirk was spread across her face.  
"Hi..." I replied, trying to walk past. But she stood in my way. There was a devious look in her eyes and I tried to avoid them. "What do you want?"  
"Oh, I just wanted to see how good you really are." Emerald pulled her wand out from her pocket. "Someone asked me to do this anyways. So I can just blame them. But for your information, Scarlet, no one likes Pures. Not anymore, anyway. We learned from the last one. They think they're so much better than the rest of us, but they aren't. You aren't." Emerald approached me, her arm outstretched and her wand pointed at me. I didn't know what to do.  
"You can't do this..." I said, half whispering. I grabbed my wand. Suddenly the dueling ring glowed around us. Emerald was using a Treasure Card. She cast it quickly, and a fire elf sprung out of the ground and shot at me with a fiery arrow. Who told her to do this?! I thought in panic. Emerald laughed, in an almost witch-like cackle. Someone then entered the ring with me. I looked over, and saw it was Ethan. He casted a kraken, which drained Emerald of all her energy. The dueling ring turned dark and disappeared, as Emerald stumbled backwards.  
"You son of a bitch..." She mumbled. Then, she pointed her wand my way and knocked my own wand out of my loosened grip. Before I could grab it, she did and broke it in half. That must have been the last bit of her energy, because after wards she fell on the ground, fainted. I rushed over to the two broken pieces, Ethan following. Now what would I do?  
I didn't have enough money to buy a new one, but I needed a wand.  
"Oh no..." Ethan said, a look of worry on him. "What are you going to do?" I shrugged.  
"I don't know... How am I going to do the tournament? Or learn new spells?" I sat on the curb of the sidewalk, sighing.  
"Why don't I buy you a new one?" Ethan suggested, suddenly lightening up. I smiled.  
"No, I don't want you to spend your money for me."  
"I insist. You need a wand, it's a very important tool."  
"I guess so. Thank you." I smiled again, and we walked to the wand shop a little ways down the road.  
We talked to the shopkeeper, although we left out how my wand had broken so she wouldn't ask questions.  
"Alright, a necromancy wand?" the shopkeeper confirmed, beginning to search through her boxes. "All I seem to have in stock is a 20-25 level wand. It may be hard to use at first, but it'll be very powerful." She set it on top of the counter. It was made of a black stone material, maybe obsidian. At the top, the stone was carved around a small skull. I held it, and it felt very natural in my hands. I could tell this wand was powerful. Ethan paid for it, and I kept thanking him although he even told me to stop. We left the store, and arrived at the fountain where we had originally planned to meet. As we sat across from each other, I noticed something different about Ethan's face. There was a spot around his left cheekbone, the skin discolored with a purplish black.  
"Where'd that come from?" I questioned. Ethan suddenly looked a little worried and his hand was trying to discreetly cover the bruise.  
"Oh, um... It's nothing." He rubbed it, as if trying to make it go away.  
"Are you sure?" I asked. He hesitated before answering.  
"Well... Yeah."  
"Then how did it get there?"  
"You know... An accident." He said. I noticed the purple was more formed into small circles on the skin, suggesting a punch had been executed there.  
"Looks like someone punched you..." I replied. Ethan sighed.  
"Someone did..."  
"Who?"  
Ethan looked down.  
"Uh... Wolf." He muttered. My eyes grew wide.  
"Wolf did that to you? Why?!"  
"Because he didn't want me helping you. And he hates me anyway." Ethan looked a little sheepish. I was stunned. Why would Wolf do that to him? I trusted Wolf, and now I didn't know if I could anymore.  
"Our fight is much more complicated then just me being a Pure... That might have half the reason to do with this." Ethan explained. He shrugged. "But we have to focus on Malistaire now, right?" I nodded, although I felt more like having a little talk with Wolf. But suddenly Ethan's attention was focused solely on Malistaire and his plans. "I figured out something while we researched." He told me.  
"What's that?"  
"Well, I believe that the poem may have more to do with Malistaire himself than the spiral."  
"How?"  
"Well as you know, a few years ago he was almost killed by another pure wizard. It was your father. Did you know that?" I shook my head. Another thing no one has told me. Had I really descended from such a great wizard?  
"Well, in this first part of his poem, it says: 'People say my end is near'. Which probably is talking about how he was almost killed. Then, in the part that says: 'But endings are really beginnings.' That might reference to his wife, Sylvia, since he almost resurrected her."  
"Wow, you've really thought about this."  
"Yeah... I guess so." Ethan continued his thoughts about Malistairs plans. "I think that he might mean the life school, instead of his wife, because she taught that school before she died. Then the next part: "My beginning starts with fear" that means the fear that the life school will be in. "The walls of the spirals shedding." Means he's going to begin his attack. Then 'For I have a surprise up my sleeve.' The surprise is that he is going to kidnap the life school students. 'Cloaked in shadows of the night' means he will train the life school students in dark ways. And 'on the dreaded hollows eve.' Obviously means he will attack on Halloween. 'Your precious city will be in fright.' Is saying how Wizard City will be in fear."  
"You got all that from the poem?" I asked, amazed.  
"Well, the research we did helped a little too." Ethan replied, smiling. "Anyways, I'm not even sure that's exactly what the poem mea-" Suddenly Gamma flew down between myself and Ethan.  
"Scarlet! Ethan! You must go to Ambrose at this very moment, quickly!" He fluttered his wings, as Ethan and I exchanged confused glances.  
"Okay... we'll leave now." I told Gamma. We teleported to the Commons and rushed as quickly as possible to Ambrose's office. As soon as we sprinted inside, we him pacing back and forth, with a very worried expression. He noticed we were there, but didn't look up as he said: "Thank goodness you've come." Ambrose motioned for us to sit, so we did.  
"What is the problem, Headmaster?" Ethan asked. Ambrose sat behind his desk.  
"A life school student has been kidnapped just minutes ago. Mallory RavenWing." He told us. Ethan and I exchanged glances. Ethan had been right.  
"Do you know by who?" I asked.  
"It was Malistaire. He left writing, on the girls dorm room wall. 'This is the first beginning' is what it said."  
"Oh no... What is there to do?" Ethan said.  
"The teachers are working at this moment to ensure that all entrances into wizard city are blocked. No students are allowed to leave now."  
"Maybe we could have a look around her dorm room?" I suggested. Ambrose nodded.  
"Certainly. But not tonight, we need things to settle down a bit. Perhaps after the Ravenwood Duel would be a good time, the students will have other things on their mind."  
"That starts tomorrow, right?"  
"Yes. Now, I just wanted you to be aware of this. You can inspect her dorm afterwards, but for now you should get rest." Ethan and I both nodded, and said our goodbyes to the headmaster as we left. We walked out into the cold night.  
"I can't believe I was right..." Ethan said.  
"Maybe your getting better at looking into the future." I told him. He smiled.  
"Maybe. I bet you are, too."  
"I don't think so."  
"Of course you are. Now we better rest, for the tournament. Although I might not sleep, thinking about this kidnapping."  
"I don't know if I will either." We came to the dorms, and I waved goodbye to Ethan. I had a lot of things going on in my mind, I couldn't organize my thoughts. This seemed to be happening often. I walked into my dorm room, changed into pajamas and tried as best as I could to fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 8

I woke up early that morning, mostly because I couldn't sleep. I wanted to talk to Wolf, I was kind of confused and angry at him. I didn't think he was violent, he didn't seem like it at all. Why would he feel the need to punch Ethan? I turned over in my bed, sighing. Today was the Ravenwood Duel. Now that I thought about it more, I was a little nervous. I hoped I would do good.  
After about an hour, I heard a knock at my door. It was seven in the morning, who could it be? I answered it, seeing the familiar face of Wolf. Great.  
"Hey Scarlet." He greeted, smiling. "I was wondering if you wanted some breakfast, I got some donuts." He held out a box.  
"Oh, thanks Wolf." I motioned for him to come inside. He walked in, and I closed the door. Would this be a good time to talk to him?  
Wolf set the box down on my desk, and looked up.  
"You're doing the tournament, aren't you?" He asked. I nodded.  
"Yeah, I'm doing it with Ethan." Shit. Why did I say that?! Sometimes I need to think before I say things. Wolf's face flushed red.  
"Why with him? I thought you didn't like him?"  
"Well he's actually pretty nice." I managed to say. My heart was beating fast with nervousness.  
"No he's not. He's a little son of a bitch. Stay away from him, Scarlet." Wolf said in a serious tone. I was getting angry.  
"Why should I? You're the one who's hurting him!" I blurted out. Anger roared in Wolf's eyes.  
"What the hell are you talking about?!" He cried.  
"You punched him! I saw the bruise!"  
"Oh come on. He deserves it!"  
"Wolf! Are you serious?" So he did do it. Was there anyone I could trust?  
"Scarlet, you don't understand! A year before we were about to go to RavenWood, his father killed my father. Ethan's father was a servant of Malistaire!" I saw tears beginning to form around his eyes. "You can't trust him! I wanted to keep you safe!"  
"What about Emerald?" I snapped. Was it possible he was the one who told her to fight me?  
"What do you... Wait, did she hurt you, Scarlet? Shit, she hurt you, didn't she?"  
"She tried to duel me, and broke my wand. Did you tell her to do that?"  
"Of course I didn't! That little bitch, I asked her to talk you out of being with Ethan. I just wanted you to be safe." Wolf was now sitting down in the chair of my desk, rubbing his eyes.  
"Why do you care, Wolf? Why do you care what happens to me?"  
Wolf looked right in my eyes, but his were shining with tears. I knew he was thinking about his father, Ethan, and... Me. My sense of other peoples feelings were getting stronger.  
"Because I..." Wolf seemed to choke on his words. He looked flustered. "Look, just have some of these donuts. They're good, I promise. I'll talk to you later, Scarlet." He got up and walked out the door quickly, closing it behind him. I wondered if we were still friends. I wondered if he hated me now. I wiped my eyes, which felt like they were about to cry too, and changed into my school robes. Wolf had been my very first friend here. He helped me out, and now we were angry at each other. I put my thoughts in the back of my head, and tried to think about other things. Like the Ravenwood Duel.

"Welcome! Welcome one and all, to the annual Duel of RavenWood!" Ambrose yelled into his wand, which he had cast a spell on so he could use it as a microphone. He stood in the middle of the Arena. The Ravenwood Student Band was next to him, playing celebratory music. All the students, which were sitting in the bleachers surrounding the Arena, cheered, and I turned to Ethan. He was smiling.  
"We're going to do great, Scarlet." He assured. I smiled back.  
"Now, we have about 100 teams signed up for the tournament. Your team will have to fight 50 duels against other teams. 25 today, and 25 tomorrow. The two teams who win the majority of their duels will battle in the Championships. This years prize is..." There was a drum roll, and finally he spoke again: "A Dragon for each member of your team!" The crowd of students roared again, then settled down. "Let the duels begin!" Ambrose cried. He and the band left the Arena ring, then the Ice School teacher, Lydia GreyRose, called up four teams. There was going to be two duels going on at all times. She didn't call our team yet, so me and Ethan sat and watched the duels. I honestly wanted to tell him about me and Wolfs fight, but I wanted to forget about it too. But he seemed to be getting better at sensing feelings, too.  
"Is something the matter, Scarlet?" He asked. It was hard to hear him over the noises of the duels and the crowd.  
"No... I'm fine."  
"You sure?"  
"...yeah." I replied. He still pressed on.  
"Is... Wolf mad at you?" He seemed genuinely worried.  
"Well... We kind of had a fight this morning."  
"Do you want to go outside and talk about it?" Ethan asked. I shrugged. "Come on." He led me outside of the Arena, at the beginning of Unicorn Way. "What happened?" He asked me, as soon as we got out.  
"Well he... He told me that your father serves Malistaire." I said. Ethan sighed.  
"He does. And I'm not proud of it, by any means. But I can't change what my father did, and Wolf won't come to realize that." He replied.  
"I don't know what I should do, Ethan. I think he's really mad at you and me."  
"You'll just have to wait. He might get over it." Ethan told me. "We'd better get back in. I think it's almost our turn to duel." We walked back inside, and sure enough, we were called up.

"Scarlet, I need to be healed!" Ethan cried. We were in the middle of our last battle of the day. So far, we had beaten every team, except for one. I nodded to Ethan, and casted Sacrifice. Some of my health was given to him. Ethan used a banshee on the other team, which dropped one it's members's energy level very low. I had a lot of energy left, even after Sacrifice, so I wasn't worried. I got hit by the other team, but is was still in good health even then. All my training was paying off. I was about to cast a spell, but then my attention suddenly reverted to the stands, in the audience. I saw Wolf sitting in the second row. Beside him, he sat with the SilverStream siblings. He was right next to Emerald. I was confused. Why would he sit with her? Suddenly I saw him catch my eyes, and then he turned. Wolf was facing Emerald, and I watched as he kissed her. They pulled away after a moment, but I was shocked. Thousands of questions arose in my head, and my heart felt like it was going to explode. Why?  
Suddenly I was brought back to reality by Ethan's calls. I was so focused on Wolf and Emerald that my turn to cast a spell had been skipped. The other teams energy was low, though, so Ethan defeated one with Vampire, then as soon as it was my turn I defeated the other with Banshee. We had made it into the next set of rounds, I should've been happy but I was still shocked about Wolf. Anger and confusion swirled in my stomach. I looked to Ethan, who was beaming.  
"I knew we could do it!" He told me. I gave him a weak smile. Soon the crowd had left, including us. There was a celebratory party going on in RavenWood, and Ethan and I were walking through the Commons towards it.  
"Scarlet?" Ethan said.  
"What?"  
"Are you okay?" He asked me. I looked at the ground, deciding I would tell the truth this time.  
"No... I'm not." I replied.  
"Why? We're one step closer to the championships!"  
"Ethan... During our last battle I... I saw Wolf with Emerald. They... kissed." I explained.  
"Oh, do you like him, Scarlet? Is that why it's troubling you?"  
"I... I don't know." I started to cry, but tried to hide it. Why did everything have to be so confusing and hard?  
"I don't think he deserves you, Scarlet. If he's not going to act like a friend to you, why should you want to be more than that?" Ethan hugged me, which made me feel a little better.  
"I'm just so confused. I thought he hated Emerald, because she hurt me. And he's being so mean to everyone, and I thought we were friends..." I cried even more.  
"Hey, we're friends, right? If Wolf is confusing you so much, why don't you just let him be? If he really cares about you, he'll come back."  
"I guess you're right." I said. Ethan was smiling, but I still couldn't really tell how he felt. My Pure powers were getting strong, I could tell, but Ethan was so good at covering up his feelings. We went to the celebration, and I tried to feel a little better.

As I lied in bed that night, about to sleep, I decided it would be best to forget about Wolf and focus on Malistaire. I had no time for drama now, with the Spiral in danger. As I kept thinking about it, I realized that I did like Wolf, more than a friend, but not anymore. I used to, when he was still nice. But he was different now. I thought about what the great tree had told me that night we talked. "Everyone has troubles." He had told me, in his low, drawn-out voice. "Dwelling on them only makes them worse."


End file.
